Luggage lock



Feb. 7, 1961 E. NORRENBERG-SUDHAUS 7 LUGGAGE LOCK Filed April 29, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 1961 E. NORRENBERG-SUDHAUS 7 LUGGAGE LOCK Filed April 29,1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V1 5/V7'0.e ERA s rive eaves es- Sue/Mus [e4 VUnited States Patent LUGGAGE LOCK Ernst Norrenberg-Sudhaus, Iserlohn,Germany, assignor to Heinrich Sudhaus Sohne, Iserlohn, Germany, acorporation of Germany Filed Apr. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 809,754

This invention relates to a lock designed as a clasp to be used forsuitcases, boxes, bags or the like, more particularlyone having a boltheld selectively in security or locked position, or unlatchable accessposition by a single spring.

The invention is directed to the solution of the problem of providing asimple lock with the fewest possible parts where all means for theattachment of the lock on the lid of the suitcase or the like are socovered that they are not visible or accessible from the outside, whilesuch means of attachment are readily eifected reliably with minimumeflfort, and without special tools.

According to the invention the lock is so designed that the spring isthe locking member for the bolt when the lock is made secure by a key.However, this spring can be moved by such key into and out of thesecurity position to make the lock serve as a latch. The spring ismounted in a closing mechanism holder, which also carries a pivotedtongue having barbs engaging undetachably in a pocket made fast with thesuitcase lid or the like.

The longitudinally displaceable bolt is controlled by Fig. 3 is atransverse cross-section on the line XX of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the lock along the line IVIV of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the attachment of the keeper dog taken online VV of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a clasp according to a modification asseen from the attachment side and before attachment of the clasp to thearticle of luggage. Fig. 7 is a section through the clasp in thesectional plane VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a partial section of the clasp corresponding to Fig. 7, in theposition prepared for attachment.

.Fig. 9 is a view of the tongue from the interior of the clasp.

Fig. 10 is the view of the tongue from the direction of arrow X in Fig.9.

Fig. 11 is the view of the attachment pocket from the direction of arrowXI in Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is the view of the pocket from the direction of arrow XII inFig. 8.

In the lock housing 10 having a top and side and end flanges, a closingmechanism holder 12 is held by inturned fastening edge flaps 14 and isfastened by a tongue 16, articulated at 15, in a pocket 18 provided withbarbs,

which pocket is secured at 20 on the suitcase orbag the spring becausesaid bolt has a locking nose adjacent the end of a U-shaped spring andis guided by one leg along a wall of the holder to be displaceablecrosswise to the direction of movement of the bolt by a key for such adistance, that, in the unlocked state the locking nose can pass by thebight of arc of the spring, while in the locked state, the bolt strikesagainst the short leg of the spring in the vicinity of said arc. Thesliding movement of the spring is limited in that the rear face of thearc and the end of its long leg abut against opposite fixed parts of theholder. Preferably, the bolt has a second nose, located in the zone ofthe free outer end of its long leg which yieldingly holds the bolt inthe closed position. When the bolt is unlocked by the key, it can bepressed counter to the spring force of this leg toserve as a releasablelatch. The head portion of the bolt is beveled so that it can be readilypressed over the upper rounded side of the keeper dog so that the lockcan easily be closed. For attachment of the dog the latter is providedwith prongs which are driven through the curved slots of a supportingplate and bent over on the side away from the clasp. The slots in thesupport plate may be provided with additional recesses.

The pocket for the attachment of the tongue provided on the closingmechanism holder is fastened to the suitcase lid or'the'like-byattaching means at its underside.

The invention is described below with reference to examples which areillustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the closing mechanism holder and theclosing mechanism parts, the face of the lock plate being removed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the clasp with the face of the lock platein position.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the clasp with the parts according toFigs. 1 and 2 assembled.

lid 22. The lock assembly is biased to open position by spring 24 asshown in Fig. 4.

' Between the closing mechanism holder 12 and lock housing plate 10 isslidably located a spring 26 bent in U form having the long leg 28 andshort leg 30, the

' bight or bend of the U designated as are 32. The spring has itsshorter leg 30 bent or deformed at 34 to provide a key engageableshoulder located in the zone of the bit of a key insertable through akeyslot provided in an escutcheon plate 74 carried by the housing 10. Anopening 36 is located in the holder 12 directly beneath the escutcheonplate 74 and receives the tip of the key shank to serve as a centeringguide during manipulation of the key. Thus, depending on the directionof rotation of the bit of the key, the spring 26 can be displaced intothe position shown in solid lines or that shown in broken lines. Theshort leg of spring 26 is also provided near itsterminal portion withvalleys 60 and 62 for respective engagement with noses 58 and 42. l

Bolt 38 is controlled by spring 26 and in the unlocked position shown inFigs. 1 and 4, the spring has assumed the position shown in solid lines.In this position it can be displaced in the direction of arrow 40(Fig. 1) counter to the force of the short spring leg 30 because itbears on outer nose 42 on bolt 38, in such a way that the lock nose 44also on the opposite side of the bolt passes by the rear side of are 32.Thus, the bolt 38 and its head 46 formed therewith can, by operation ofthe pusher or finger piece 50, be shifted in the direction of arrow 40so far that the sinuous short leg 30 of U spring 26 has its free endabutting long leg 28. The bolt head 46 is cut out at 70 and has one edgebeveled to facilitate engagement in the eyelet portion 52 of keeper dog48, which in turn is fastened to the side or body portion 54 of thesuitcase or bag.

The long leg 28 of spring 26 is guided by the inner face of theintermediate stepped wall portion 13 of the closing mechanism holderwhile its short leg is guided along the edge of upstanding abutmentnoses 42, 58 and 44 of the bolt and the abutment 56 of the closingmechanism holder 12. In the closed but unlocked state, the spring valley62 engages outer nose 42 which lies far as possible away from are 32 ofthe spring, so that the force of pressure required to depress the boltin the direction of arrow 40 can conveniently be supplied by a hand,althoughthe. spring, is made. of. relatively heavyi...

spring steel.

Bolt 38 is guided between the side walls 64 and 66 of the closingmechanism. holder 12. The path, oi movement of spring 26 crosswise tothe direction of movement of bolt 38 is, limited in that, on theone sideof the U are 32 engages wall 64 and on the other side the free. end ofthe long spring; leg 28 abuts side wall 66.

The size of the cutout 68 in the forward bottom wall.- of holder 12 andwhich registers with cutout 70 in the bolt 38, and the width of the.closing dog 48 are so adapted to each other that the dog can. enter intothe cutout 68 of the closing mechanism holder and also into said cutout70 of bolt 38. The bolt is also provided with an. additional cutout 72,in which the key to be inserted can turn.

Thehead of the dog 48 is arched and since the edge of the head 46 of thesliding bolt 36 is beveled, each of these two measures facilitates thepenetration of the dog into the cutouts 68 and 70. Alternatively the dogmay have two oppositecutouts, so that it forms a bridge.

The dog may be provided with prongs; which can be passed through thesupport on which it is to be fastened and bent over on the other side.Additionally, the prongs may first be passed through a plate 76 fittedon the support and after passage through the suitcase material bent overbehind the latter, the plate 76, shown in Fig. 5, being moreor less,thick for the purpose of adaptation to the thickness ofv the material ofthe suitcase and of the lid. The two slots for the prongs 78 of the dogare slightly arched and additionally recessed in the center at. 80. Thetips. of the. prongs which always stand a little. tapered can thussqueeze through the slots better. Upon further compression of the dogwith the underplate, the dogassumes. aforced fit in the plate.

The clasp, which. consists'of a trough-shaped part,'has., accordingtoFig, 7, a platewhich is slightlybowed or arched. The closing mechanismholder 12 bears by its. edge 82 against the edge portion. 84 of theclasp. In the step 13, made a little lower in this model of the closingmechanism 12, a slot is provided through which one end of the leafspring 24 is passed. The side parts of the troughashaped clasp and ofthe closing mechanism holder12 are stepped preferably at the level ofstep 13 at 86 in a; manner that on the bearing side. of the clasp afterthe attachment thereof and after the closing of. the lock they extenddown, to the surface of thesui.t' case lid, while the remainingpart ofthe. closing mecha nism holder restson the. suitcase surface or thatportion with. whichit comes in engagement,

The axle 1.5%, which is mounted in theclosiug. mechar nisrn holder, maybe a continuous pinor may consist-got two pins. 88 through whose bore 90the axle is passed. Tongue 16 has two notches 92 punched into it, andfrom the tongue rectangular faces 94 are pressed out in such a way thatthey are bent as barbs 94 as in Figs. 7, 8 and 10 to provide. forwardlyfacing inclined surfaces 95 and rearwardly facing vertical edges 97substantially perpendicular to said tongue. To facilitateinsertion, inthe pocket 18%,bevels 96 areprovided.

The leaf spring- 24"- which raises the clasp, offrthe tongue 16 extendsaround. theaxle 15 and rests by its other bent end 98 on the barb 94of-tongue 169. Support on a difierent point of; the. tongue. maysufiice.

The tongue 16 presents bent-up side-flanges atevmm The. pocket. 18fastened near the edge 100 of the. suit-.. case lid 22 is made of onepiece of sheetmetal and has two cutouts 102, which are large enough forthe barbs 94 to engage in them. Pocket 18 has in addition two bores 104,which serve to receive, for instance, two pointed rivets 20 by which thepocket is fastened to the suitcase lid.

Upon application of the clasp to the suitcase lid, it is insertedbythe.tongue 16, inthe direction of. arrow- XII into pocket 18 until the barbs94 engage. in the cutouts 102. The angle by which the tongue can beraised is limited by the fact: that the rear edge 82 of; holder 12-abuts the. rearedge of the tongue 16 After insertion of the tongue, theclasp can no longer be detached from the pocket 18 because. the bars 94have snapped in behind the edges of cut out portions at 102 (Fig. ll)and therefore are no longer removable. Moreover, the entire fasteningdevice is covered after the closing of the lock and no longeraccessible.

I claim:

In a clasp type lock for articles of luggage or storage having a bodyand a lid or the like, a clasp carried by said lid and a keeper attachedto said body in close proximity to said clasp, said clasp including ahousing having top, side, and end walls and enclosing slidable boltmeans having a bolt head cooperating with said keeper to detachablyconnect said lid to said body, means for pivotally' attaching said claspto said lid, comprising, a tongue having forward and rear edges andpivotally mounted within said housing adjacent one end wall thereof,upstanding barbs punched in said tongue having forwardly facing inclinedsurfaces and rearwardly facing vertical edges substantiallyperpendicular to said tongue, spring means biasing saidclasp upwardlyaway from said tongue, the rear edge of said tongue' abutting theadjacent end wall of said housi'nggto limit the upward .movement-of saidclasp, a pocket member attaehai to said lid and adapted to receive saidtongue to maintain said clasp secured to said lid, said pocket membercomprising top, bottom, and side walls defining an inner pocket openinghaving a width and height substantially equal to the width and height ofsaid tongue, cut-out portions in the top wall of said pocket memberdisposed so that as the leading edge of said tongue is inserted intosaid pocket opening the inclined surfaces of said barbs will strike thetop wall of the pocket member and cause'said barbs to be deflecteddownwardly so that when the'tongue is fully'inserted into the pocketopening; said barbs will snap upwardly into said cut-out portions'and.saidreag wardly facing vertical edges will abut the inside edges offsaidcut-out portions to non-releasably secure said clasp to said lid.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,253,416 Nyary Ian. 15, 1918'.

1,654,079 Hiering Dec. 27, 1927' 2,292,008 Nelson et al. Aug. 4, 19422,648,966 Polak .Aug. 18, 1953 2,819,602 Levine. Ian. 14, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 71,5.70 Sweden Nov. 8, 1929

